Hallelujah is an interjection that has been accepted into the English language. The word stems from the standard Hebrew word, Halleluya, which loosely translates to mean “Praise God.” The Latin form of the word Hallelujah is Alleluia, which is the form most Catholics prefer. For Christians, the term Hallelujah is considered a joyful expression of praise to God.

The word Hallelujah is found in the Old Testament of the Bible in the Book of Psalms on several counts. The Book of Psalms is considered a poetic book, filled with religious songs and poetry. On several counts, the word Hallelujah begins and concludes a number of Psalms. In many Christian churches, preachers are heard using the interjection, often shouting “Hallelujah! Praise God!” which could be considered redundant. However, Hallelujah is also used sometimes in conjunction with “Amen,” which is used to express agreement.

In the Catholic church, the Latin form, Alleluia, is a response given during the Roman Mass that is half sung, half chanted. In music, Hallelujah is a song expressing praise based on the definition, however, two popular pieces of music – “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen and “Alleluia” by Randall Thompson – are both somewhat sorrowful in sound. Cohen’s Hallelujah has been recorded and featured in a number of television and movie scores including Shrek, Gray’s Anatomy, House, and the episode of Third Watch that dealt with September 11th.

Though the popular lyrics of Cohen’s Hallelujah are equivocal, there are some verses that clearly and explicitly reference the Bible and people from it including David, Samson, and even God. The song does not seem to imply a joyful expression of praise, however. There are many older hymns that contain the word Hallelujah in praise. Many people of no religious affiliation at all sometimes utter a casual “Hallelujah” in reference to an occurrence that is exceptionally good.